Ice anchor



Feb. 28,- 1967 w. BORCUK 3,305,984

' ICE ANCHOR Filed Nov. 19, 1963 F n 4 INVENTOR.

MICHAEL w. BORCUK ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,305,984 ICE ANCHOR Michael W. Borcuk, 19 Detroit Ave.,

' Providence, RI. 02907 Filed Nov. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 324,611 1 Claim. :(Cl. 52-155) This invention relates to an anchoring device, more particularly for use on ice and is especially adapted for use in connection with rescue work. 1 a

When a person falls through the ice into cold Water beneath, as may happen under several different circumstances, difiiculty is experienced in the person getting out of the water back onto 'theice' even when help is at hand. Various ways are attempted in such rescue Work, but I know of nothing which will anchor in the ice so that a rope attached to such anchor may be pulled upon to assist in the rescue work. Anchoring of a shelter on the ice is also desirable. f'

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device which may be firmly anchored in the ice so that it may be pulled upon by the person who has fallen through the ice, or by others assisting in his rescue, so that the persons in the water may be extricated therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be easily inserted in the ice and locked in position to be anchored therein for various uses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be of simple construction and thus one inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will be light in weight and one which may be easily carried about on the person so as to be handy at all times should the device be needed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the device anchored in the ice and a person who has broken through the ice pulling upon a tether attached to the device;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the device in the ice to show the shape thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear view looking at the teeth on the rear end of the device; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the device as positioned upon the surface of the ice and showing in phantom a foot which may be used to press the teeth into the ice and also showing a rope attached to the device.

In proceeding with this invetnion, I have formed from a piece of metal which is shown substantially full size in the drawing presented, a shank portion having a hole adjacent one end so that a tether, such as a rope, may be attached thereto, while I have bent this metal to provide a portion extending at an acute angle to the shank and have shaped that portion for insertion into the ice and arranged such portion symmetrically with reference to the longitudinal axis of the member so that they will have a balanced relation as a pull is applied '1 1e tether. This inserted portion is sharpened on its rear surface so that as pressed into the ice, such as by the foot of the user, the ice will shatter on the rear surface leaving the ice intact and flat along the surface that engages the front fiat surface so as to provide a solid portion for face to face engagement with the front of the inserted portion, which ice is to sustain the pull upon the anchor as the tether is pulled upon. There is also some resilience in the bent stock between the shank and inserted portion for deflection about a hard portion as insertion takes place 3,305,984 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 and for gripping and holding in the ice after insertion is completed. 7

With reference to the drawings, I have formed from a piece of metal which if iron or steel will be about of an inch in thickness and about an inch and a half in width, a shank 10 which is fiat throughout its length and width as far as a portion 11 which is bent as at 12 an a FIG. 4).

amount suchas best shown in FIG. 2 and is provided with a hole 14 through which some sort of a tethering device such as a rope 15 may be knotted as at 16 (see The bend at 12 serves to accommodate this portion of the rope so that the undersurface 17 of the shank may lie flatalong the surface of the ice 18 and yet the rope is such that a horizontal pull in line with this flat horizontal surface of the shank when positioned in the ice may be had.

At the other end of the shank, the metal of the device is bent as at'20 so as to provide a portion at an acute angle to the shank 10, the angle being shown well in FIG. 2. The stock at this bend is somewhat-resilient allowing some deflection should a hard spot be hit as insertion takes place. This portion 20 is fashioned to provide two teeth 21 and 22 (see FIG. 3) by providing their inner edges 23 and 24 so as to be substantially in the shape of an inverted V, although in some cases a single tooth as one piece across the width may be used. These edges of the two teeth are beveled as at 25 as also seen in FIG. 3, and this inverted V is such as to subsatntially come to a point with the outer edges 27 and 28 of the teeth which are prolongations of the opposite edges of the shank. I then bevel the face of the single tooth or the rear faces of the teeth as at 30 and 31 so as to provide sharp points 32 and 33 enabling these teeth to be pressed into the ice by the foot of the user.

In FIG. 4 I have illustarted a device as in a position to have its sharp points 32, 33 forced into the ice such as by a foot 35 of the user. Thus, when a person steps upon the bent curved portion 36 of the device, the teeth will enter the ice shattering the ice where the beveled surface 30 and 31 engage the ice scaling it off so that there will be some irregular formation as at 38 as shown in FIG. 2 when the device enters the ice while leaving the face 39 of the ice flat and smooth so as to engage the flat and smooth surface 40 of the teeth, thus providing a better face to face engagement of the teeth with the ice for the sustaining of a pull upon the device such as through the rope or tether 15. Should a hard spot be encountered by the beveled edge, the resilience of the bend at 36 would permit deflection of the inserted portion around such hard spot. Further some flexing of the inserted portion away from the shank does occur as the inserted portion is forced into the ice, causing a grip to occur on the ice between the shank 10 and the face 39 of the inserted portion.

By the device which I have above described, a person at some distance from the one who has broken through the ice may position this anchor in the ice by stepping on it as above mentioned, and then the tether may be thrown to the person who has fallen through the ice, or where necessary the person who has positioned the anchor in the ice may then enter the hole in the ice to assist the person who has broken through the ice, thus enabling either the person who has broken through the ice or the one assisting him and who has entered the hole in the ice to pull themselves out of the ice by pulling upon the tether which is so anchored. The device may also be used to hold a shelter on the ice or on the end of a pole where a grip on ice is desired.

By reason of the balanced relation with the tether located along the line of the central axis of the device and with holding portions at either side thereof, the device does not tend to rock out of position but will remain embedded in the ice and the harder the pull is applied, the greater the tendency for the inclined or acutelyangled piece to be forced further into the ice by sliding along the smooth surface thereof as pull is applied.

In some cases it has been found that this device may be forced into the ice by the bare fist pounding upon the same where it is not possible to use the foot for this purpose. Also in some cases it is found that this device may be forced into the ice by reaching out from the hole in the ice and starting it into the ice by light pressure and then by pulling upon the same, the body of the person may be dragged out of the hole in the ice part way, and then the device advanced a further distance, possibly the length of reach of the arm, and the body pulled further, and so on until one has completely extricated himself from the hole in the ice. A rope ladder may be attached in place of the tether to the device in some cases for assisting the rescue of the person who has broken through the ice.

I claim:

An ice anchor comprising a flat shank of substantial width with respect to its thickness having adjacent the front end a portion provided with means'to attach a tether thereto, said shank at its rear end being arched to provide a toothed portion generally in a plane extending at an acute angle to the shank leaving said acute angle void and with the outer edges of said toothed portion being substantially a prolongation of the outer edges of the shank, said toothed portion formed into teeth at its end distant from the shank, said teeth being in substantially a single plane on their front face and beveled on their rear face to break the ice away adjacent their rear face While leaving the ice unshattered and in a single plane as the teeth enter the ice to be engaged by the front face of the toothed portion, said arched portion presenting a smooth surface for engagement to force the toothed portion into the ice, said tether attaching portion being bent from said flat shank in the opposite direction from said toothed portion for the accommoda: tion of a tether.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,511 9/ 1890 McCurdy 29482 722,250 3/1903 Powell 171 855,159 5/1907 Brown 29478 905,399 12/ 1908 Zimmerman 294-82 1,161,534 11/1915 Schubert 52-l55 1,721,436 7/1929 DuBois 52158 2,674,968 4/1954 Danforth 114-207 2,738,750 3/ 1956 Vorenkamp 1l4207 2,843,932 7/1958 Ferguson 30-171 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

